Idea spurring questions:

Creative thinking

involves calling into question the assumptions underlying our customary, habitual ways of thinking and acting and then being ready to think and act differently on the basis of the critical questioning.

Components of Critical Thinking

Creative Thinkers

Consider rejecting standardized formats for problem solving.
Have an interest in a wide range of related and divergent fields.
Take multiple perspectives on a problem.
Use trial-and-error methods in their experimentation.
Have a future orientation.
Have self-confidence and trust in their own judgment.

Critical Thinking Involves

Recognizing underlying assumptions.
Scrutinizing arguments.
Judging ideas.
Judging the rationality of these justifications by comparing them to a range of varying interpretations and prospective.
Providing positive as well as negative appraisal.

Identifying the Problem

1-Consensus Building (voting in a democratic manner)
2-Draw a picture of the problem
3-Experience Kit (putting problem solvers through an experience that causes them to understand the problem better)
4-Fishbone/Ishikawa Diagram - exercise that lists all possible causes of the problem at hand
5-King of the Mountain - one or two individuals take a position on what the problem is, and other members try to come up with a better on.
6-Redefining a problem or opportunity
7-Rewrite Objectives in Different Ways
8-Squeeze and Stretch
9-What do you know?
10-What patterns exist?
11-The why-why diagram (identifies the causes of a problem in a systematic way)

Generating Alternatives

1-Analogies and Metaphors - helps one identify problems and understand them better.
2-Analysis of Past Solutions, and learning from failures.
3-Association - making a mental connection between two objects or ideas. They must be related in some manner.
4-Free Association - just getting as many ideas as possible on the white board. You're looking for thoughts
5-Attribute Association Chains - technique begins with a list of the attributes of a problem. You free associate on each attribute to generate ideas about the problem.
6-Attribute Listing - consists of listing all the attributes or qualities of a problem, object. Then, they systematically analyzes each attribute or group.
7-Back to the Customers - turns our attention from production problems to marketing problems.
8-Back to the Sun - for each elements you can trace a process back to natural resources and ultimately the sun.
9-Circle of Opportunity - randomly selecting problem attributes and combining them to create a topic for a brainstorming session.
10=Computer Program - no other meaning here. It just means using software programs.
11-Deadlines - some people claim they work better under pressure.
12-Direct Analogies - knowledge/facts/technology from one field is applied to another.
13-Establish Idea sources - such as magazines
14-Examine it with the senses (using hearing, sight, touch, smell, taste)
The FCB Grid - Four cell matrix

Generating Alternatives

15-The Focused - Object Technique: contains elements of both free associations and forced relationships.
16-Fresh Eye - bringing in someone from the outside who doesn't know anything about the problem.
17-Googlestorming - using search engine to help spread your thinking.
Idea Bits and Racking - Taking idea bits ( or ideas generated in individual or group session) and using a specially designed racking board.
18-Input-Output : Helps identify new wars to accomplish an objective.
19-Mind Mapping
20-Music - listening to music
21-Name Possible Uses, provides solutions to a whole array of problems
22-The Napoleon Technique - assuming that you are someone famous, might help you

What does "holistic dimension" mean?

Where is the "valuing" function used?

What are the elements of "valuing"?

Object element (outside yourself) and subjective one. We can all judge and evaluate objective things, but what we actually value, "our values and morals" depends on our environment and culture, thus making it subjective

Leadership is essentially an _______ activity, opposed to a _______ one.

What is action-centered leadership?

A method where the leader (of no more than five) completes the role of achieving the task, building and maintaining the team, and developing the individual by completing the function of:
1) Defining the task
2) Planning
3) Briefing
4) Controlling
5) Evaluating
6) Motivating
7) Organizing
8) Providing an example

How should a leader know where to act on the planning continuum?

How does a problem differ from decision?

Problem is "something thrown in front of you", all of the components to the solution is already there. Decision - usually does mean that life will be different. opens the way to changes. Decision making always taking priority.

What is one major reason why brainstorming is useful?

How do you run a brainstorming session?

1)Define the problem
2) Help people understand the problem by highlighting the background information and history
3) clarify the aim in a succinct sentence
4) have a brief warm-up session, using a common problem or object
5) Brainstorm, write ideas on a flipchart. Allow time for silent reflection, discourage criticism and encourage cross-fertilization
6) Establish criteria for selecting feasible ideas, choose the best
7) Reverse brainstorm - "in how many ways can this idea fail?"

List the steps of the creative thinking process

1-Preparation - collecting all relevant information
2-Incubation - Depth Mind phase. Mental work (analyzing, synthesizing, valuing) continues on the problem in your subconscious mind.
3-Insight - "Eureka" moment, usually occurs when you are in a relaxed frame of mind
4-Validation - valuing faculty comes into play, the new idea must be thoroughly tested

free association

regular association

Fishbone diagram

Referred to as Ishikawa diagram by professor of university of Tokyo. Develop all possible causes of problem at hand. Primarily used with groups. Information visually arranged in a diagram that resembles skeleton of a fish. Problem written on R side of paper. Straight line extending across paper to the left. Draw stems at 45 dgree angle to backbone line. Each stem is list of causes, branches off each stem are breakdowns of each cause. List causes from least complicated nearest head of fish and most complicated at the tail. Usually reviewed over more than 1 session.

Benefits of fishbone diagram

1. study all parts of problem
2. shows relationships between causes and their relative importances
3. starts creative process by focusing participants on the problem
4. starts a logical sequence for solving problem
5. reduces scope of problem and way to solve less complex isssues
6. keep focus on problem rather than tangents.

Benefits of why-why

1. helps problem solvers explore many more possible causes rather than focusing on a narrow possible cause
2. leads to a more thorough analysis than fishbone
3. more rational layout of problems along traditional lines

circle of opportunties

Randomly selecting problem attributes and combining them to create a topic for a brainstorming session. Time consuming, but good for generating ideas. A circle is numbered like a clock, attributes are listed around the circle. Throw a dice to determine the 1st attribute to address. Make combinations of attributes by rolling the dice or choosing combinations

examine it with senses

FCB Grid

Developed by Richard Vaughn. 4 cell matrix used to describe management and marketing concepts. Examples of terms used along axis: high and low involvement (describes pricing) on other axis think and feel (describes consumer involvment). Example found on-line placed items like perfume, automobiles, life insurance, clothes pins on the grid in 4 quadrants.

Input-Output

Mind Mapping

Tony Buzan. Working out fram a core idea suits the brain' thinking patterns better. Individual brainstorming process. Write the name or description of object and draw a circle around it. Draw a line out from the circle for each major facet of the problem. Drawing lines outward are like roads leaving a city. You can draw branches from the roads. Look for interrelationships and terms appearing more than once. You can add visual techniques like different colors for different lines, circle words appearing more than once, connecting lines between similar thoughts.